There has been a known technique for controlling travel of a vehicle to avoid collision with the object when an object is present around the vehicle. Patent Literature (PTL) 1 indicated below discloses a technique for setting an avoidance point on each of a plurality of straight lines connecting the vehicle and detection points of the object so that the vehicle does not approach the object when an object is detected ahead of the vehicle in a direction of travel thereof. The avoidance point is set closer to the vehicle as the relative speed of the vehicle with respect to the object increases.
Furthermore, PTL 1 discloses a technique for selling a virtual white line on the vehicle side of the avoidance point, and estimating a target lane in which the vehicle is to travel based on this virtual white line and an actually detected white line or another virtual white line. With the technique disclosed in PTL 1, the vehicle aims to avoid an object present ahead through control of travel thereof in such a way as not to deviate from the estimated target lane.